"I know I have no right to ask," I croaked, my forehead pressed against the linoleum, "but if you're going to sue me, could you wait until Urara and Rice finish this next training block? I need to see them through."
A long, agonizing silence followed. Then, a small voice.
"P-please, stand up! I'm not angry! If anything... it just showed me how much you care for Rice Shower. I felt I should learn from your dedication!"
"But..."
"And... well... I don't actually have any memories of my father ever patting my head, so... it was... quite a fresh experience."
Is "fresh" the word we're going using for this?! I worried for her. She was far too sheltered. Some bad guy was going to trick her one day.
I lifted my head slightly. Kiryuuin was fidgeting with the ends of her hair, her face still flushed, but she didn't look like she was calling the police.
"I am truly sorry," I said, staying low. "If there's anything I can do to make it up to you—anything at all—just say the word."
"Anything?"
She pounced on that word a bit too fast. I braced myself.
Kiryuuin looked down at me with a sudden, professional intensity. "Then... would you allow Rice Shower to run against Little Meek? Meek is entering the Hanshin Juvenile Fillies next month. Even though it's a Junior race, I think facing a G1 winner would be an invaluable experience for her."
"A mock race? That... actually sounds like a great idea."
It made sense. Even if it was just a practice heat, feeling the "pressure" of a G1 champion would change Meek's perspective. And selfishly, I wanted to see Rice run against someone other than Urara.
"I'll have to check with Rice," I cautioned. "I can't force her if her heart isn't in it. But if she's okay with it..."
"Then it's a deal!"
As she beamed with excitement, a spark of inspiration hit me. This didn't have to be just a 1-on-1. This could be exactly what Rice needs.
"Actually... if Rice says yes, should we invite the other rookies? Make it a full-gate mock race? It would be more realistic."
"Oh! That... that might be a bit high-level for me..." she stammered.
I ignored her modesty. The other trainers would jump at this. I pulled out my phone and shot a quick message to the girls.
Trainer: Thinking of holding a mock race after school. You guys in?
Urara: Waaaa! Sounds fun! I'm in! I'm in!
Rice: Rice will do it.
Rice's reply was short, but I felt a strange, quiet heat radiating from the screen.
"They're in," I told Kiryuuin.
"Wonderful!" She did a tiny fist pump before catching herself and smoothing her suit. "Then... I look forward to this afternoon."
After school, the track was buzzing. I looked around and sighed.
"I know I'm the one who suggested it, but isn't this a bit much?"
"Are you kidding?" one of my fellow trainers laughed. "A mock race against the Kikuka-sho winner? It's the chance of a lifetime for our girls."
"Yeah, thanks for the invite. We've been wanting to ask, but we didn't want to impose."
Almost every rookie trainer had shown up. With Kiryuuin's Meek included, we had exactly 18 girls—a full gate. It was going to be a real race.
"Trainer! Rice is ready!"
"I'm all set too! This is gonna be great!"
Urara was her usual sunbeam self. But Rice... the usual timid, trembling girl was gone. She was wearing a look of crystalline focus. The air around her felt heavy, almost pressurized.
I knelt down in front of her, matching her height.
"Listen, Rice. Your body isn't at 100% yet. I know I'm the one who set this up, but I want you to take it easy. Give me 70, maybe 80 percent power. Just a test run. Can you do that for me?"
"But... if I do that, Rice might lose."
"That's fine," I said with a smile. "It's practice. If you lose, no one will blame you. If anyone talks trash, they'll be talking about my failure as a trainer for not preparing you. Not yours."
I meant it. If a G1 winner lost to a Junior, it was the trainer's fault.
"You're just here to find your rhythm. Think of it as being a mentor to the juniors. Let them have their moment in the sun."
Rice didn't answer. She looked... dissatisfied. I reached out and patted her head.
"I mean, don't get me wrong. Part of me wants to scream from the rooftops about how amazing my girl is."
"Trainer..."
Rice cut me off. She balled her small hands into fists and looked me dead in the eye.
"Rice doesn't know the other girls running today. So... please. Just tell me one thing. Who is the girl who would win if Rice wasn't there?"
I blinked, surprised by the edge in her voice. "That would be Happy Meek. She's in a league of her own compared to the other juniors."
Rice's gaze shifted across the turf, locking onto Happy Meek. Her eyes sharpened into two points of cold light.
"Okay... I understand. Trainer?"
"Yeah?"
"Watch me," she said, her voice devoid of its usual tremor. "Watch the girl you trained... run."
As she turned toward the gates, I looked up at the sky and realized I might have just accidentally unleashed something terrifying.